Fasting is held in high esteem by many religious traditions
and health regimens. In the Jewish tradition, fasting
is taken quite seriously. On a major Holy Day like Yom
Kippur, those who fast do so because they believe fasting
to be good for either the body or the spirit or both. The
discomfort that is produced by fasting is thought to have
instructional value and is intended to help us reflect on
our human frailty (We are forbidden from fasting if our
physical well being is endangered by it.)